China announces controversial plan to address its massive power needs: 'New energy bases'

China announces controversial plan to address its massive power needs: ‘New energy bases’

March 28, 2025

In an effort to combat rising global temperatures, China has announced new renewable energy plans.

The “world’s largest producer” of planet-warming gases has set a goal to become carbon neutral by 2060, according to Reuters. Renewable energy projects will be the main driver toward achieving that ambition.

New offshore wind farms are one of the key components of China’s ambitions, as well as the construction of what the National Development and Reform Commission called “new energy bases” in desert areas.

While some of the renewable energy projects are a step in the right direction, some of the proposed plans have sparked controversy, such as a hydropower facility on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet. Experts have pointed out it would have the potential to “impact on downstream water flows,” as Reuters reported.

Another concerning aspect of the plan is the country’s continued reliance on coal. According to the NDRC report, China plans on increasing its coal production even as it transitions toward clean energy sources.

“China has been struggling to strike a balance between fostering economic growth and meeting its environmental goals,” noted Reuters.

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Though the country has been trying to increase its use of renewable energy, economic growth has made the transition more challenging.

“Despite the world record expansion of renewables, an inconvenient truth is that China’s economy hasn’t become much more energy efficient in recent years,” Yao Zhe, global policy advisor with Greenpeace in Beijing, told Reuters.

Shortcomings aside, the new projects still offer hope that China will utilize more renewable energy sources and decrease its carbon emissions.

Burning dirty energy, such as coal and oil, contributes to the world’s pollution, which exacerbates rising global temperatures. However, renewable forms of energy, such as wind, solar, and hydropower, offer opportunities to decrease a country’s environmental footprint and fend off the climate crisis.